Boutique Hotel CalatravaOccupying a 19th century building in the...

Boutique Hotel Calatrava

Occupying a 19th century building in the historic center of Palma de Mallorca, Boutique Hotel Calatrava boasts 16 elegant rooms and suites, most of which overlook the bright blue bay of Palma.

The serene interiors are a charming blend of contemporary design and antique pieces of furniture, dressed in plush fabrics and modern amenities.

Complete with an outdoor terrace, Calatrava Gastro-Gourmet specializes in traditional Mallorcan cuisine, while the spa comes appointed with Finnish sauna, hot tub, and sensation showers with aromatherapy.

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6 Signs You’re A Strong Person With Heightened Sensitivity

Society has made us believe that a strong person is someone who is fierce, has a stone for a heart, and doesn’t get moved by anything. In short, lacking sensitivity. But you may be surprised to know that it is very much possible to be both strong and sensitive. In fact, the strongest people may actually be the ones that are also highly sensitive.

Here are six signs that you are that unique kind of person, who is both strong and sensitive:

1. Life Sometimes Seems Too Much

You have to get to lecture on time, and you know that immediately afterwards you have to go work at the restaurant, yet not before you pick up your little sister from school. And all that while knowing that your midterm exam is tomorrow. Overwhelming? Well, some people may get absolutely crushed by all of this, while some will do it up without even snorting, or giving it a second glance. However, strong people with heightened sensitivity will feel both things at the same time. Kinda.

Life can be overwhelming at times. The speed, the stress, the responsibility. People that are both strong and sensitive will easily feel crushed by the weight of it, but will also know that it won’t be enough to stop them. They know that if they fail, they can just get back up, and try again.

2. You’re Truthful, With Yourself and Others

At times, social interaction requires us to act a bit phony, to avoid conflicts and let the truth slide from under the carpet. But when it comes to strong highly sensitive people, they will not shy away from the truth, and in fact, will not even wince at presenting it to the crowd. They are sensitive to their friends and surroundings, but will know that covering up the truth will not help anyone, neither their friends, nor themselves.

3. You Require Meaningful Relationships

You are tired of going through the demanding dates. Dress well, act politely and charmingly, and overall being someone you’re not, waiting to present your true self as time goes by. You want to be honest about your thoughts and your feelings, you don’t want to make up meaningless conversations just for the comfort of conversing.

Strong people with heightened sensitivity do not like being alone, but know that they need to stay strong enough and wait, if they want to find someone that they will enjoy as their company. Any less than that is unacceptable.

4. You Respect Yourself As Well As Others

A strong person with heightened sensitivity knows what he wants from others, and is also strong enough to know that he won’t take any less than that, even at the cost of pointing that out bluntly at the risk of confrontation. And of course, that person will not expect to have what he doesn’t give.

If you are a strong person with heightened sensitivity, you go by the ideology that you only give others, what you expect of them to give you. It comes by the fact that you hold high respect for yourself, as well as for the people surrounding you.

5. Strong People With Heightened Sensitivity Make for Great Listeners

You’re talking with your friend, you can hear something strange in his voice, see something odd in his expression. Your heightened sensitivity allows you to catch on and realize that something is wrong. The act of listening does not end with hearing the other person’s words, it also includes reading his tone, and his mood. To read through the lines.

Your heightened sensitivity allows you to be empathetic about the situation, while your strong personality gives you a firm shoulder to weep and cry on. You are sensitive enough to relate to the situation, but also strong enough to keep your composure, making you a reassuring person. This is indeed a unique quality to have.

6. Bad Decisions Overburden You

Have you ever made a decision that you considered as “wrong”, or “bad”? You ran it through your head over and over again, thinking hard on every and each scenario, trying to figure what you could have done different. Well, it makes sense if you are a person with heightened sensitivity, since you take every respective consequence to heart.

Yet, as a strong person, you realize that this will pass, and that it’s not at all a reason to halt your future endeavors. If anything, it will only help you improve next time, as you will learn much more from each badly made decision.

Being a strong person with heightened sensitivity is truly a rare quality.

Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.com

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8 Warning Signs Your Body Desperately Needs More Water

We all know that water is important, healthy, and essential. More than once, we’ve been told to “drink more water,” while we nodded in silent agreement. We can all agree on that, and we strive to be the kinds of people that remember to drink water on a regular basis. But still, a number of us find ourselves forced to drink only when our mouths are dry and our skin is peeling.

If this sounds all too familiar, then you should really take a look at these 8 warning signs that will make you go and fill yourself a glass of water.

1. Fatigue

This one is notoriously familiar to us. We’re tired at work, tired at home, tired as soon as we wake up. If you feel constantly tired, you should really consider the possibility that you are actually dehydrated.

Dehydration causes your enzymatic activity to slow down, which causes your body to produce less potential energy for your future benefit.

In order to avoid this, you should drink water regularly throughout the day. Try drinking to the point that your urine is light in color.

2. Increased Blood Pressure

To those of you who suffer from high blood pressure, or would be happy to avoid it in the future, changing your drinking habit may just be the trick.

Our blood is made from around 92% water when hydrated, and so it becomes thicker as your hydration level decreases, making it more difficult on your heart to pump it, elevating your blood pressure.

3. High Cholesterol

This is usually a problem that is much more associated with adults, but sometimes can also be found in younger folks. Yet, should be prevented altogether, if possible.

If you have high cholesterol, or perhaps you know that it’s genetic in your family, you should know that drinking more water can help in reducing it considerably. When dehydrated, the body will produce cholesterol so to reduce water loss from inside the cells.

4. Kidney Problems

The kidneys are responsible for disposing of excess substances found in the bloodstream, such as salts and minerals, urea, excess water, and more. The kidneys do so by extracting water from the blood that circulates through them, and this mixture of water and disposed substances is moved down to the bladder and then out of the body.

However, when lacking water, it will be much more difficult for the kidneys to pull away precious water from the bloodstream, which can eventually result in kidney problems. These problems can potentially be expressed through pain, and in rare cases, even failure.

So, long story short, don’t bet on your kidneys. Drink water.

5. Constipation

Those of you who have experienced constipation can testify that a painful stomach, and an hour in the bathroom with no avail, is not a joyful experience. To say the least. Those of you who wish to avoid this unpleasant situation should know that a lack of water may just be your problem.

The colon requires a substantial amount of water in order to provide fluids to other “bodily functions” that are equally important to any other. Unfortunately, when dehydrated, there just won’t be enough fluids for your “waste” to make a clean and easy exit, if at all.

Doesn’t sound appealing? It’s not.

6. Aching Joints

No one likes pain, especially the kind that makes you feel older and weaker, such as joint pain. Well, if you’re young, or even middle-aged, you should know that a constant aching in the joints may be due to dehydration.

The cartilage padding the joints is made of mostly water, and when lacking, it is weakened and recovers more slowly.

So the next time that you wake up with a bad knee, you should consider drinking two or three glasses of water.

7. Fat Gain Instead of Water

Gaining weight lately and can’t figure out why? Getting hungry all the time even though you eat healthy? Well, this is a classic problem of dehydration.

When your body cells are dehydrated from water, a major and important source of energy for them, they will signal your body to look for an alternative power supply. And, except drinking, the other way to provide energy to your cells is by the consumption of food. When dehydrated, you will actually feel hungry at first rather than thirsty. Falling for this deception and eating will result in weight gain.

Also, here’s a tip: try drinking a glass or two of water when you have the urge to go for that midnight snack. You might find that you weren’t actually hungry in the first place.

8. Visible Aging Marks

This one is actually for the chronically dehydrated. When the body is lacking sufficient amounts of water for a long period of time, your organs, including your skin, will start to wrinkle.

Looking older than you actually are, and highly unhealthy as well, is not a fun notion. This can be avoided to a certain extent. If you are showing signs of dehydration, change your drinking patterns now, before your body starts to show you the unfortunate results.

Tips

All of these unfavorable symptoms can be avoided, or at least moderated, by regular consumption of water. Here are a few tips on how to actually do so:

• Drink two glasses of water before each meal. This will also keep you from overeating. You should also drink a glass after your meal.
• Buy a personal water bottle and carry it with you. Make sure to buy one that will actually be comfortable for you to use and carry with you.
• Consume water-based foods. Examples are cucumbers, grapefruits, and, of course, watermelon.
• Download a water consumption tracking app. There are a number of these on the market. Just take your pick.

The options are various, and you should always look for your own personal preference to keep track of your water consumption. Just remember to stick with it when you do.

Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.com

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Why It’s Definitely Fine That You Fall Behind In Life Sometimes

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced those times in life when you are utterly confused about your life purpose, you get a sense that you aren’t where you thought you’d be by now, and you secretly compare your life to those around you, using them as a benchmark to your own. Life is full of “should” and “shouldn’ts” that lead us to feeling pressure and unhappiness.

You lack motivation and that inspired action just isn’t coming to you. You start to panic that it’ll never come and you’ll stay in this space of dissatisfaction forever. If this sounds familiar, then you’re not alone. We often end up at a stage in life that isn’t anywhere where we thought we were going to be, but I’m here to tell you that it’s okay. Here is why falling behind in life isn’t as bad as we perceive it to be.

Give Yourself A Break

The problem comes when we believe we are falling behind in life, but by who’s standards or ideals exactly? Society has a lot to answer for when it comes to pressuring us into being at certain stages of life at certain times, but everyone is unique. Different circumstances happen to different people. We all have different personalities, different dreams, and different beliefs, so we can’t all be the same. So it’s really important to give yourself a break.

So what if you aren’t as far along in your career as you thought you’d be? So what if you’re at the age when you “should” be married and having children but you’re not even close? You aren’t alone in feeling this way and it’s better to be in a relaxed state than creating stress and anxiety in your life.

Surrender To Timing And Trust It

You’re probably thinking it’s too hard to relax when you feel like a failure and you can’t quite see how it’s all going to change. It’s very easy to think like this — we’re human after all. But remember that life is all about timing — think back to all your past situations, relationships, friendships, or jobs that came into your life at the right moment.

Accept that you can’t conjure up motivation if it’s just not there and there’s no point in forcing it. Relaxing is the best way to let any of that good inspiration in but also honour the fact that life can get in the way sometimes. Sometimes we’re just going through things we can’t control, things that influence how we feel and can take our focus away from what we want.

Surrender to the fact that it’s all about timing and trust that things will work out for you when they’re meant to. Feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re doomed or that your life is hopeless. It simply means that something better is waiting for you.

Everyone Is On Their Own Path

Making comparisons is the worst thing we can do, yet we all do this! Sometimes you can feel perfectly content with life until suddenly you wake up one day and all your friends are married with kids and you’re not even close to all that. Maybe everyone around you is buying a house and you’re still renting because you can’t quite afford it yet. Then the feeling of failure creeps in that breaks down that happiness vibe — you feel you’re never going to have what someone else has, or that there’s something wrong with you.

But we absolutely cannot compare ourselves to others — others who are on a completely different personal journey to ours. Just because they’re in our life doesn’t mean our life has to mirror theirs. You don’t truly know their life journey or what lessons they are learning — what seems like perfection on the outside is rarely the case.

Listening to others’ opinions about your life situation when they are in completely different life stages or circumstances to you is extremely detrimental to your overall outlook. When we feel sensitive or vulnerable about our own life dissatisfaction, we tend to value other people’s opinions over our own inner feelings and guidance, so choose to ignore any negative beliefs from others and concentrate on trusting the process and the right outcomes happening at the right time.

Remember It’s All A Learning Curve

Don’t think that this is a time in your life where you’re not moving forward or learning anything. All situations in our life — positive and negative — are there to teach us something, even if it’s really really not obvious to us.

Again, it all comes down to timing. Perhaps you need another year of life experience or there’s something you need to realise about yourself that you can only find by taking time out to be by yourself before you let in that great relationship. Maybe a series of events is waiting to happen before you get that great job, events that will show you something or guide you in the right direction. Perhaps your current feelings of sadness are what will eventually propel you to building your life. Sometimes we’re not yet the people we need to be in order to get to our perceived destination, and that’s perfectly okay.

This is why it’s so important to relax and realise not everything is in your control. Knowing we can’t control every outcome is crucial, as life is uncertain and unpredictable and often outside of what we can understand. What we can do is establish healthy habits and grow from our experiences.

Stop Beating Yourself Up

At the end of the day, we need to be positive and kind to ourselves. We need to stop pressuring ourselves and beating ourselves up because we haven’t lined up with what we want just yet.

Lessen the shame that surrounds your idea that you’re somehow not doing your best. Life is full of ebbs and flows but you are always travelling down the path, so trust that you are heading in the right direction even if you can’t fully see the path itself. Try and ignore the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” that seem to dominate our lives so much. At the end of the day, they are only other people’s beliefs and ideas. Relax — you are not actually falling behind in life, you are exactly where you’re meant to be.

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Artist Reconnects With His Mom With Dementia Through His Camera

When artist Tony Luciani’s elderly mother Elia moved in with him, he didn’t see it as a burden. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to start a wonderful project with his new camera — he needed a subject and Elia was the perfect model.

Timeless Memories

Elia suffers from dementia, meaning she often recalls memories from years gone by but can’t remember the last minute, hour, or day. Tony decided to use this as inspiration for testing out his new camera — a short-term project that was to span almost 2 years.

The series of photos portray Elia’s dementia in a unique and personal way, fusing her distant memories with her current reality.

From One Caregiver To Another

Tony describes how his mother was always his caregiver but now the roles have reversed. He wanted to include Elia in the project to make her feel productive and show his true love and adoration for her.

“She’s always been someone who participated and gave more than she received.”

More Than Just Another Art Project

Elia is still pretty active and goes for small walks often, stopping by a bench or sitting under a tree by herself.

Although looking after his elderly mother has been lonely at times, Tony believes the photography has given back more than he could have asked for.

“I’m doing more work, and I’m not at the beach. I’m at the studio and I’m creating and I’m doing photographs,” he said. “And with her here as my model, it’s every artist’s dream to have a model that I can call — and there she is.”

Dealing With The Heartache Of Dementia

Tony says the project has been successful due to the love he has for his mother and has helped him really re-evaluate the relationship he has with her.

Dementia can be emotionally hard on the loved ones of those suffering with the disease, but finding a truly involving and productive way to explore and deal with the journey has helped both Tony and Elia in their life together.

“Here I thought, initially, I was going to be the brave guy and take her into my home, rather than shoving her into a nursing home or assisted living, and having my life disrupted and all that. But what I got out of it was more than I gave.”

Featured photo credit: Tony Luciani via tonyluciani.ca

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